Measuring degradation for REDD+ forest reference emission levels / forest reference levels (FREL/FRL)

Julian FoxForestry Officer (UN-REDD)

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Moving on From Experimental Approaches to Advancing National Systems for Measuring and Monitoring Forest Degradation Across Asia

16-18 June, 2015, Bangkok, Thailand

1. What is FREL/FRL

2. International guidance on degradation and FREL/FRLs (UNFCCC and Carbon Fund)

3. Emerging approaches to measuring degradation in FREL/FRL

4. FAO/UN-REDD efforts on supporting countries on FREL/FRL and degradation

5. Summary

Overview

What is FREL/FRL

Forest Reference Level(average historic emissions)

Emission Reduction(quantified impact of REDD+ actions)historic emissions

Start REDD+ implementation

FREL/FRL is a “benchmarks for assessing each country’s performance in implementing REDD+ activities”

UN-REDD definition: FREL for activities that “reduce emissions” while FRL includes enhancements

UNFCCC guidance on degradation and FREL/FRL

National Strategy

or Action Plan

NFMS

SIS(safeguards)

FREL/FRL4/CP.1512/CP.1713/CP.19 + Annex

4/CP.1511/CP.19

1/CP.1615/CP.19

12/CP.1712/CP.19

Decision 4/CP 15 “…transparently taking into account historic data, and adjust for national circumstances…”

Decision 12/CP 17 Construction guidelines (Modalities for FREL/FRL)Information guidelines (for FREL/FRL submission)

Decision 13/CP 19 Guidelines technical assessment+ Annex Procedure technical assessment (timing etc)

UNFCCC guidance on degradation and FREL/FRL

The UNFCCC has defined 5 activities for REDD+

Which activities should a country include in the scope of the FREL/FRL?

• Significance of activity and associated emissions• Mitigation potential, and basis for REDD+ intervention?• Does the country have the technical capacity to measure the activity?

When will degradation be important?• High Forest, Low Deforestation (HFLD) countries• Selective timber harvesting is a major activity• Fuelwood removal from forests is a major activity• Forest fires are prevalent

UNFCCC guidance on degradation and FREL/FRL

The UNFCCC does not say which activities a country should choose, but does say that:

• Significant pools and/or activities should not be excluded

• Reasons for omitting a pool and/or activity must be provided

Approaches to measuring degradation; a country needs historical activity data on degradation

1. Indirect non-spatial proxy measures. IPCC approach 1 – non spatial, use of statistics

2. Direct spatial measurement. IPCC approach 3 – spatially explicit

3. Significant, but to be included in the future (stepwise approach). Recognize that degradation is significant, but not included in FREL/FRL due to data limitations and/or technical challenges

Emerging degradation approaches: UNFCCC FREL/FRL submissions

1. Indirect non-spatial proxy measures:• Guyana: Forestry Commission records on volume of timber extracted and

length of skid trails combined with forest inventory in timber harvesting areas

2. Direct spatial measurement: None

3. To be included in the future (stepwise approach):• Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador

Further consideration• Countries need to provide a definition of forest with their FREL/FRL, and

this allows a definition of deforestation (forest moving to another land category)

• A definition of degradation may also be required, but is usually assumed to forest remaining forest, but subject to reduced carbon stock

Carbon Fund guidance on degradation and FREL/FRL

FCPF Carbon Fund Methodological Framework:

• ER programs must include deforestation, and include degradation when emissions are more than 10% of total forest-related emissions

• Degradation emissions should be estimated using the best available data (“indirect methods such as survey data, proxies derived from landscape ecology, or statistical data on timber harvesting and regrowth if no direct methods are available”)

Emerging degradation approaches: FCPF Carbon Fund Submissions

Indirect non-spatial proxy measures:

• Chile - official statistics on consumption of logs, firewood, and forest fires (although exploring spatial measurement)

• Republic of Congo - proxy measures for degradation from selective timber harvesting

• Democratic Republic of Congo - Annual Allowable Cut and timber statistics

• Guatemala – timber harvesting statistics (fire estimated using Landsat and ASTER)

Direct spatial measurement:

• Nepal - high-resolution satellite imagery and ground measurements to estimate changes in forest carbon stock - Landsat, LiDAR (5%), ground measurements

• Vietnam - high-resolution satellite imagery and ground measurements to estimate changes in forest carbon stock - Landsat ETM+, SPOT-4 and SPOT-5 images, ground measurements

To be included in the future (stepwise approach):• Ghana and Peru

FAO / UN-REDD support to countries on FREL/FRL and degradation

Support to countries on FREL/FRL

• Three sub-regional workshops on FREL/FRL that include all 17 UN-REDD member countries in Asia-Pacific for south-south knowledge sharing

• Country level FREL/FRL workshops in 12 UN-REDD Asia-Pacific countries. A detailed FREL/FRL roadmap is elaborated toward UNFCCC submission;– Forest definition

– Scope (Activities)

– Scale (National / Sub-national)

– Data and Methodologies (including National Circumstance and Adjustments)

Support to countries on methods for measuring degradation

• FAO’s remote sensing specialists are elaborating technical solutions for spatial measurement of degradation; radar; high-resolution imagery

• Supporting countries on practical solutions such as the use of proxies; PNG and Bhutan

Summary

• Countries need approaches to measure forest degradation to participate in the REDD+ mechanism (UNFCCC, carbon fund, bilateral agreements)

• To include degradation in a FREL/FRL, a country needs to identify historical activity data for degradation, and then needs to report against this using a consistent methodology

• Most FREL/FRL submissions include degradation using simple (non-spatial) proxy measures

• Countries lack technical capacity and sufficient quality data to include spatial information on degradation

The challenge: to develop robust, simple, and affordable methods for spatially measuring degradation that can be adapted and applied by countries intending to participate in REDD+ mechanisms